Nostalgic Throwbacks for the 90’S Babies

Everyone has got something or the other that they miss about their childhood. Things that they feel nostalgic about. And us millennials are definitely no exception. I mean… what sane person hasn’t got something they miss about being in the roaring 90s and the early 2000s?! When those days came to an end, it was truly the end of an era and a lot has changed since then (And I mean… A LOT). But do you remember these? 

 

Ice-Packets

Ever done ice? ahh… school’s over for the day, and as you and your school-van-buddies make your way out the gates, in the blistering 1.30 PM heat, you can’t help but notice the “Ice Maama” on his bike with the ice-box strapped in the back. And inside this ice-box were the little packs of the sweet, cool goodness just for 5 rupees. And if you’re calling yourself a 90’s kid and yet don’t know what these are…yikes.

 

Marie Biscuits Dipped in Kiri Thé over Cartoons

You’ve finished your ice-packet, you hurry home, get out of your uniform, take a quick bath and head over to do your homework and finish it as soon as possible. Then comes the line up of cartoons in the evening – ranging from the iconic Soorapappa to Thundercats to Scooby-Doo to Dangaya, Kumbichchi, and Api Raja Ibbo (the Sinhala version of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) which were all so popular they had to be voiced over in Sinhala. All this whilst, you devour an entire packet of Marie biscuits dipped in your Kiri Thé.

 

The Shihan-Syndrome

Now… you, my friend, are definitely too young if you don’t remember growing up in a time when half your family and possibly even your neighbours got together in front of the TV to watch whatever the latest Musical Reality Show of the time was. Yes, yes, yes… it still happens today, but this was when these types of shows first saw the light of day in Sri Lanka. It first started around 2005 as a local take on the popular “American Idol” and then over time, took on influences of “The Voice” – yes, I’m talking about the rotating chairs. It is in one of these very first seasons that the swag heartbreaker – Shihan Mihiranga – made his appearance. Ever since then, life has not been the same for any of us. That gel-combed hair and cut on the eyebrow was HAWT, to say the least. Then came that angelic voice that literally made his audience cry. Oh and then do you remember when he was eliminated even though he was the clear winner of our hearts?!?! Safe to say that we’re still heartbroken over Shihan.

 

Interact Clubs

Now while Interact Clubs might not exactly just be a thing of the past, it’s still definitely something we’re bound to be nostalgic about – that is of course, given you were an Interactor. If you were, and you joined the club with social service in mind, well then my friend, you’d be lying to yourself and just a general disgrace to all other Interactors. Because let’s be honest – anyone and everyone who joins Interact joins with only one thing in mind. And that is to ‘interact’ (haha – geddit?!) with the opposite sex. And this is especially true if you’re from a single-gender school.

 

The Dubbed Indian Teledramas

So once you had your fun little happy-hour with the evening cartoon line up, come sundown, it’s the ladies turn. Closing in around 8 PM, you might have started to notice that your Amma and Aththamma trying to make sure everyone’s dinner is made and out of the way so that – just like you – they can sit down in front of the TV to watch their line up of incredibly cringy, awfully dramatic and very unnecessary-special-effect filled (dishoom *pans camera* dishoom *pans camera* dishoom!) Indian teledramas with the never-ending plots. And whether or not you got to sit through these as a kid, entirely depended on your Amma’s mood and how willing she was to put up with your never-ending list of questions, like why the sky is blue, and be distracted from her show.

 

Bathiya and Santhush

Now if I were ever to say the names, Bathiya Jayakody and Santhush Weeraman, without any context, it’ll probably take you a minute or two to know exactly who I’m talking about. But simply say Bathiya-Santhush – or simpler yet, “BnS” – you’re bound to know exactly who I’m talking about. Synonymous with the music industry of Sri Lanka, Bathiya and Santhush were the soundtracks  to your teenhood. I mean who wasn’t jamming to their Coca-Cola commercial Sina Wenakal Jeewithe Mal, or to Baila Gamuda Remix Karala, or vibing to Unmadini and Res Vihidena Samanaliyek back in the day?! And you’re definitely lying if you didn’t sing along to Kiri Kodu Hitha every time it came up on the radio in your car – even when you didn’t know the Tamil lyrics, but muttered along anyways (Am I right, or am I right?)

 

Winning the Cricket World Cup in ’96

Sri Lanka was the team to beat in the Cricket World Cup of 1996. Having defeated India twice in the tournament, Sri Lanka went on to win the World Cup without suffering defeat. And when Arjuna Ranathunga lifted the coveted trophy on the eve of the 17th of March that year, at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan, the roar of victory was heard the loudest in Sri Lanka. Tears of joy spilled all across the country. And the deafening sound of fireworks and “rathingnya” was prominent most of all. It was the first time a host/co-host of the tournament had won the Cricket World Cup. And it was when Sri Lankan cricket rose from it’s underdog status, and became a force to be reckoned with in international cricket – and thus Sri Lankan cricket was never the same again.

 

Weird Things from School

Remember that weird thing when schools used to start at 8.00 AM and finish at 2.00 PM? Then it became 7.30 AM to 1.30 PM? This took place alongside a shift in the office of the president from Hon. Chandrika Kumaratunga to Hon. Mahinda Rajapaksa, in 2005. And while a mere half an hour might not sound like that big a deal, it meant a change in a lifelong schedule a lot of people weren’t accustomed to. Imagine waking up at 7.30 AM to get ready and be in school at 8, only to realise later that you’re way too late already!

Another odd but weirdly nostalgic thing from school has got to be when school-vans were allowed to enter the premises on rainy days, to drop or pick up the kids. Was it just me or was there a completely different vibe knowing that the school-van was coming to you and that you didn’t have to walk to wherever it was parked at…? Just me? Okay.

 

Skinny Jeans, “Arugam Bays” and Rubber Bracelets

90’s fashion has always been one of a kind. And if you knew how to rock a pair of skinny jeans, “Arugam Bays” and a couple of rubber bracelets, then “you’re it”. What are Arugam Bays you ask? Well back in the day, when flip-flops were just getting in the fashion scene, and if you wanted to make a fashion statement, then “Arugam Bays” was the brand you went looking for. And who doesn’t know rubber bracelets? Everyone was working their own favourite versions of these rubber wristbands back in the day!  

Simply said, there’s a lot that we miss about being back in the simpler times – and the list could go on and on. So did we miss any nostalgic times from your past? We probably did – so why don’t you just let us know in the comments?

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